DOST engineer: 'Recalibrated' taxis may still have illegal 'batingting'

Engineers from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) warned that recalibrated and resealed taxi meters may still have illegal devices called "batingting" to jack up the fares that commuters have to pay. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said recalibrated and resealed meters are are "tamper-proof."
However, in a report on GMA News TV's "State of the Nation," DOST engineer Manny Ruiz said the taxi meter calibration only ensures that the meter indicates the correct kilometer reading and fare. The calibration does not ensure against tampering, he said. Reporting batingting users The LTFRB is encouraging commuters to report "overcharging" taxis to their hotline 426-2515 or 0921-448-7777. Taxi riders are advised to look closely at the information provided in their receipts if they suspect that a taxi driver is using a batingting. In the report, a receipt from a tampered meter was presented to LTFRB. The receipt showed that the taxi traveled 186.7 kilometers/hour in two minutes. Passengers should more or less be able to tell if the taxi indeed traveled that fast in such a short time, the LTFRB said. Between September and December 2010, the LTFRB received more than 1,300 complaints from passengers. A total of 588 taxi drivers were reported for overcharging, and at least 41 taxi drivers were apprehended for installing batingtings in their fare meters. In an earlier interview, the LTFRB also advised commuters to take down key details of the incident when reporting, adding that commuters may also take a photo of the driver if they have a camera with them. Taxi operators who are found guilty of tampering their taxi meters may face a P3,000 penalty and may have their operator's license revoked, the LTFRB said. Higher flagdown rate Before the end of 2010, the LTFRB approved a fare hike for taxis, increasing the flagdown rate from P30 to P40. The new rate per 250 meters traveled also increased to P3.50, from the old rate of P2.50. Recalibration and resealing started last January 24, 2011, and recalibration of all taxis will be done by May 25, 2011. Taxis are now also required to have a meter that prints out a receipt, which indicates the following information: